4. When a pronoun is separated from the word which makes clear its use in the sentence, care should be taken to have the right case form. EXAMPLE. Correct: I saw the crippled man who they thought was dead. Incorrect: I saw the crippled man whom they thought was dead. 5. The possessive form of either a personal or a conjunctive pronoun never has an apostrophe. "Hi's" as the possessive of "He" is never seen; but "her's" and "it's" as possessives are seen so often that one has to think whether they are not right. All are wrong. So, too, is "who's" for "whose." 6. Either, neither, one, every, each, man, person, are all singular; and when a pronoun refers to one of these words, it must be kept in the singular. EXAMPLE. Correct: Any one in his senses would avoid a mad dog. Neither had his work finished. (See Sec tion 198, 5.) Incorrect: Any one in their senses would avoid a mad dog. Neither had their work finished. 7. A pronoun is to be used in place of a noun to avoid unpleasant repetition. But a noun should be repeated whenever there is any danger of being misunderstood. Never avoid repetition when clearness is gained by it. EXAMPLE. Correct: Damon and Pythias were firm friends. victed criminal while Pythias went to the marriage of his sister. Incorrect: Damon and Pythias were firm friends. He took his friend's place as a convicted criminal while he went to the marriage of his sister. 8. A pronoun should never be used with a noun, if the noun alone is sufficient. Mary, bursting into the room, exclaimed, "Wasn't that a great fire, though!". Incorrect: John he did it. Mary, bursting into the room, she exclaimed, "Wasn't that a great fire, though!" 9. The interrogative who is sometimes incorrectly used for whom. 10. A conjunctive pronoun should be so placed that there can be no doubt as to what its antecedent is. EXAMPLE. Correct: With a pipe in the corner of his jolly mouth, he came rolling through the door, which was barely wide enough to let him pass. Incorrect: He came rolling through the door, with a pipe in the corner of his jolly mouth, which was barely wide enough to let him pass. 11. The antecedent should not be a possessive modifier. It leads to confusion. EXAMPLE. Correct: The father of the boy that was studying Incorrect: The boy's father that was studying Latin NOTE TO THE TEACHER. Many examples of the errors given here can be found in the composition work of the pupils. Sentences containing the actual errors made by the pupils should be collected by the teacher, and these should be made the basis of lessons in which the reason for the change from the incorrect form to the correct is definitely stated. A lesson a week for the last four or five months of the course in grammar can be very profitably spent in this way. ADJECTIVES. 163. An adjective has already been defined as a word that modifies the meaning of a noun or pronoun. (See Section 52.) A study of the following sentences will enable you to make a classification: (a) Long sentences in a short composition are like large rooms in a small house. (b) The iron hand is not less irresistible because it wears a velvet glove. (c) These seeds are destined to bear but little fruit. (d) There are no birds in last year's nest. (e) A child will learn three times as fast when he is intense as he will when he 's dragged to his task. (f) Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. (g) The rich man wished to know what commandment is great est. (h) He considered long which course he should pursue. (i) These are the flowers of Shakespeare, — which flowers are ali the dear old-fashioned ones of our grandmothers. (j) I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (k) Wherefore let none in any wise be reckless, but calmly take whatever gifts the gods provide. (1) Sir Thomas was a man of sixty, loud-spoken, boisterous, and domineering. (m) Many active young men are enlisting for the war. (n) Athletic, enthusiastic, restless men are enlisting for the war. Point out the adjectives in the sentences from (a) to (f) that denote some quality, or describe. In the same sentences find the adjectives that limit the meaning of the nouns by pointing out; by telling the number; the quantity. In (g), is the clause conjunctive or interrogative? What word in the clause asks the question? What does it modify? What would be a good name for this word? Is which a pronoun or an adjective in (h) and (i)? Is it interrogative or conjunctive in its use in these sentences? Recalling the classification of whatever, whosoever, and whatsoever as pronouns, what would be a good name for them when used as adjectives? What is the usual position of an adjective with reference to the noun it modifies, before or after? What about the position of intense in (e)? of the adjectives in (1) ? In (m), what word modifies men? Does active modify men? or does it modify young men ? Does Many modify men? or does it modify active young men? Can you see any reason why there are no commas between the adjectives? In (n), can you see a reason why there should be commas between the different adjectives? Adjectives are divided into two large classes: qualifying and limiting. A QUALIFYING ADJECTIVE IS ONE THAT MODIFIES THE MEANING OF A NOUN OR PRONOUN BY DENOTING SOME QUALITY OR CONDITION. A LIMITING ADJECTIVE IS ONE THAT MODIFIES THE MEANING OF A NOUN OR PRONOUN BY POINTING OUT, OR BY DENOTING NUMBER OR QUANTITY. A few words commonly pronouns are at times adjectives. What and which may be interrogative adjectives in either direct or indirect questions. Which and the compound conjunctive pronouns are at times conjunctive adjectives. (See Section 156.) The usual position of an adjective is before the word that it modifies. This is called the attributive position. Sometimes the adjective is used with a Position of copulative verb to form the predicate; as "in- Adjectives. tense" in (e), "greatest" in (g). Such an adjective is in the predicative position. And at times adjectives follow the noun they modify; as "loud-spoken, boisterous, and domineering" in (i). These stand in the appositive position. (See Section 52.) Rule. Adjectives in the appositive position are separated from the noun they modify by a comma. Rule. Commas are used to separate modifiers when they have the same relation to the word modified and the connectives are not expressed. At times, however, a series of modifiers do not hold the same relation to the word modified; an adjective may modify all that follows it, both the noun and its modifiers, as in (m). When this is so, commas are not used. THE ARTICLES. 164. Three words in very common use are a, an, the. They are adjective modifiers; and they are generally called articles. 66 Is there any difference between "a rabbit" and "the rabbit"? between "an ox" and "the ox"? Do you ever say a eagle”? Why not? Do you say "a historical fact"? or "an historical fact"? Looking through the sentences at the beginning of the chapter on adjectives, tell what is the usual position of articles. "the" before plural nouns ? before singular nouns? see "a" or " before a plural noun"? The word "a an is a weakened form of the word "one." "a" is never used with plurals? Do Can you use Did you ever 66 or an you see any reason why The is the definite article. It may be used with both singular and plural nouns. A, an is the indefinite article. It is a weakened form of" one." For this reason it is used only with singular nouns. At times the indefinite article retains its idea of number. In the sentence, "Twelve inches make a foot," "a" 66 means one." So, too, in the phrases, "in half an hour," "an inch thick," as well as in the negative phrase "not a gun," the indefinite article has a numerical meaning. A is used before words beginning with a consonant sound; an is used before words beginning with a vowel sound. Some persons, however, use an before a word beginning with h, if the word is more than two syllables long and is accented on the second syllable. We say a man, an ox, a historical treatise or an historical treatise. The position of the article is before the noun, or |